Behind the Doors of Another Class: Part Three

It was Friday, the last day of school for the week. Fluffy
the white Aisha headed for her seat in room 106. As she seated herself and double-checked
her homework, a long essay, she found a lacy pink envelope on her desk.

"What's this?" she wondered. She gently opened
it and found an invitation, which she read silently to herself.

"Dearest Fluffy,

You are cordially invited to a slumber party
at 132451 Rainbow Lane, Neopia Central (Sarah the Ixi's Neohome) after dismissal.
Everything will be provided, so you need not bring anything. We would like to
see you there! There'll be study time, good food, and of course, a night full
of gossip and more fun! Best of all, the whole place is ours for the whole night!

Your new friends,

Muriel and Sarah"

Fluffy unfolded the paper and found the Ixi and
Kyrii standing before her, obviously waiting for their new friend's reply.

"So, pal, are you in or are you in? Go ahead
and say yes already!" said Muriel.

The Aisha smiled. "Yeah, count me in, gals! I'm
going!" she replied, just as Mr. Snippy entered the classroom. He picked up
the chalk and began scrawling on the board.

"OK, everyone…since it's a weekend…" the Elephante
began.

Before the teacher could continue, all the pupils-except
Fluffy-started groaning, moaning and sighing.

"Friday is always the day when Mr. Snippy assigns
extra homework," said Sarah nervously. "It's already a habit of his."

Sure enough, Mr. Snippy covered half the board
with all the homework he was assigning. Everyone groaned again, but Fluffy didn't
wince. She didn't mind that much work, anyway. In fact, the white Aisha was
smiling broadly as she marked the pages of her books. Muriel and Sarah's lips
curled into sneaky smiles and they both stifled giggles.

"Now that settles it," whispered Sarah behind
Fluffy's back.

"She has to be totally, absolutely, exceptionally
intelligent to not flinch when that much work is given to her!" added Muriel
quietly.

***

"Hey, Fluffy! Aren't you going to sit with us
like you always do?" asked Glitter. Fluffy had taken a turn and missed their
usual table. Instead she was headed for the popular clique's table.

Fluffy shook her head and continued moving on.

"Haven't you remembered what Kat told you yesterday?"
said Sweet furiously. "You have to be careful, and we're responsible for your
welfare here at Neoschool!"

The Aisha turned to look at her siblings. "Sorry,
but I'm not listening to anyone who even tries contradicting what I want. This
is a free world, you know, and I'm free to do whatever I want, and sit wherever
I fancy. Right now, I feel a need to experience the thrills of being at the
popular students' table! You aren't letting me do anything good for a change!
You act all overprotective, as if I'm only a baby!" she proclaimed.

"You tell them, girl," said the rainbow-colored
Kyrii, as she and her companion escorted Fluffy over to the popular Neopets'
table.

"Honestly, she is now one of us, misfits. She
cannot be seen with you no longer," added Sarah. She stuck out her tongue at
Fluffy's siblings.

Glitter felt tears coming to her eyes. "I always
thought she was a great sister," she sniffed. "I knew she was trustworthy and
kind…until today."

"I don't think she trusts us anymore. She'd rather
go with the richer, more famous guys than with us, the only three pupils in
this whole Neoschool who can understand her," sighed Angel.

"I know Fluffy, and I know she'll be back," said
Sweet, wiping away a fat tear that fell from his right eye. "I know it, even
if it'll take a while. We'll just be there waiting for her when she finally
realizes that we were right and she was wrong."

"How long will that be?" asked Angel, moving
his carrots around his plate.

***

The bell finally sounded. It was time for everyone
to go home, and enjoy a great weekend. It was also time for Muriel, Fluffy and
Sarah to get on with their slumber party. But there was still one thing Fluffy
had to do.

"I have to get permission from my owner!" she
screamed.

"Aw, you have your siblings, Fluff," said Muriel.
"If they're good for anything it would be for telling your precious owner that
you're with us."

The Aisha nodded and found Sweet, Glitter and
Angel walking towards the exit.

"You guys, please, please do a favor for me?
I'm sorry for what I did during lunchtime, and I won't do it again if you let
me go to their slumber party and tell Kat where I am. Please?" Fluffy begged
Sweet and practically kneeled before him and gave him the invitation.

Sighing, Sweet nodded. When his sister danced
off to her new friends, he whispered to the Acara and Zafara, "I have a definite
feeling that I'll be sorry for what I did right now." Glitter and Angel agreed,
and the trio continued walking home.

"Kat's not going to buy this, I just know it,"
he grumbled. "The only thing I have to be thankful for is that I have their
location."

***

They got to Sarah's house, but as the Ixi opened
the door, Fluffy and Muriel stared at the inside of the house.

The living room was in total disarray. Dust collected
in different corners of the room. Trails of more mess led to the other rooms.
Broken plush toys were scattered, along with stray crumbs of who-knows-what.
Even the curtains weren't looking their best.

"Who's going to clean all of that up?" asked
Muriel. "Your owner won't be home for long, and you know how upset she'll get
when she finds this mess!"

Sarah whispered something into Muriel's ear.
Then Sarah clutched her right paw. "I'd love to clean it, but my paws hurt,"
she lied.

"And I have this totally uncool headache," sighed
Muriel. They both looked at Fluffy sympathetically.

"Oh, all right. I'll clean this place up. Mind
if I fix you some goodies?" Fluffy asked.

Muriel and Sarah nodded, and then as Fluffy decided
to look for some cleaning items, they both raced to the sofa, moved everything
that was on it, and gave each other triumphant grins.

***

Time flew by. Fluffy wiped her brow, and looked
at the living room. The mess was swept up, spills were cleaned up, and broken
stuff was donated to the Money Tree nearby. She even managed to set out some
chips, ice cream, beverages and popcorn out, despite the fact that she deserved
a long rest.

"I'm done with the cleaning," she breathed. "Can
we have some fun now?"

"Of course," said Muriel. "I'll turn on the speakers
for some music. You just rest over there." She pointed to a table that was piled
up with papers, books and notebooks.

Fluffy staggered over to the table, overworked.
But she gasped when Sarah asked, "Look, since you're there, and you're the smartest
pet we ever knew, could you like, do our homework? We're too pooped to do it
ourselves."

Flashbacks occurred in Fluffy's mind. She remembered
everything her siblings and owner told her…Kat's advice, the truth her siblings
spoke…even the time she thought that they were wrong and she was right. Now
the Aisha felt like a fool. Now she herself knew what was actually going on.

"Hey! I thought this was a slumber party, not
a give-Fluffy-all-the-work party!" she screamed. "My brothers and sister were
right! You tricked me, and now you're getting me to do all your homework for
you! Now that's totally unethical!"

Muriel grinned and turned to look at her. "So.
You figured it out, smarty," she sneered. "Well, what are you going to do about
it? We got you fair and square."

"But is this the way to repay us for being your
friends in the tough battlefield they call room 106?" demanded Sarah. "At least
we were paying attention to you, right?"

Fluffy stood up and gathered her own things.
"Do your own homework! You may be paying attention to me, but doing it in a
negative way is even worse than being ignored! I was so wrong to trust you both!"
She stormed out the door and ran back home, tears streaming down her face.

The Aisha sprinted for her Neohome. She didn't
bother to knock; Fluffy just sat down on the porch and buried her face in her
front paws.

"Fluffy? Are you there?" The door opened behind
her, and there, in the doorway, stood her owner. Fluffy stood up, and Kat casually
walked her in.

"Now," the girl began. "I think you have something
to tell all of us right now."

Fluffy looked down at the floor. "I'm…I'm sorry
I yelled at everyone, and I'm sorry I didn't trust you guys. Sometimes I get
so caught up in these things that I forget about the more important ones. Will
you forgive me?" she said, her head still bowed down.

"After you didn't believe us?" said Sweet.

"After you totally ditched us during lunchtime?"
added Glitter.

"After you didn't listen to Kat's advice and
ours?" put in Angel.

Fluffy closed her eyes and waited for the blow
to fall. Instead of expecting angry interjections, she felt some furry arms
hugging her. She opened her eyes and saw her three siblings hugging her.

"We forgive you! Why, it's not very nice not
to forgive you after listening to you confess!" said Sweet, laughing.

"I guess this is the end of your advanced classes,
Fluffy," said Kat, kneeling down to give her Aisha a hug. "I'll talk to Mrs.
Ford, and to Mr. Snippy as well. And, we'll make sure those so-called friends
of yours get what they deserve."

"Thanks," sniffed Fluffy. Tears had been coming
to her eyes again, only this time, they were tears of joy. "I don't think popularity
isn't important anymore, I think what's important is that your family is always
by your side!"

Kat, Angel, Sweet and Glitter only embraced Fluffy
even tighter and said, "Glad to hear that!"